Wednesday January 6th check in
Hiya peeps welcome to the Wednesday check in with 🔥 thanks for stopping by.
I hope everyone is doing pawsome today, but if not that's ok to, feel free to say hi or drop off or pick up a hug or 2.
Icebreaker: what's your favorite holiday?
Today's check in topic is Dealing with intrusive thoughts.
What are intrusive thoughts?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, intrusive thoughts are among the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They can also be a feature of anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts that seem to occur out of the blue. They can be disturbing and unpleasant.
Intrusive thoughts can be persistent and cause significant distress in some people. Often, the harder people try to rid themselves of these thoughts, the more they persist, and the more intense they become.
These thoughts, however, are just thoughts. They seemingly appear out of nowhere and cause anxiety, but they have no meaning in your life. They’re not warning messages or red flags. They’re simply thoughts.
A region at the front of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex is known to play a key role in controlling our actions and has more recently been shown to play a similarly important role in stopping our thoughts. The prefrontal cortex acts as a master regulator, controlling other brain regions -- the motor cortex for actions and the hippocampus for memories.
How do we overcome these thoughts?
Several treatment options are available for people experiencing intrusive thoughts.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help a person change how they think and react to these thoughts.
Medications for OCD might include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or other antidepressants, such as clomipramine, which is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI).
Although people typically use SRIs to treat depression, these drugs can help with OCD symptoms. They can take 8–12 weeks to begin working for intrusive thoughts.
The ADAA offers some tips for dealing with intrusive thoughts. These include:
1: identifying the thoughts as intrusive
2: clarifying that they are involuntary and irrelevant to daily life
3: accepting their presence instead of pushing them away
4: continuing normal behavior
5: understanding that the thoughts may return
6: practicing meditation or mindfulness.
A person should avoid
1: pushing the thoughts away
2: trying to figure out what they “mean”
3: engaging with the thoughts.
However, anyone who experiences intrusive thoughts that cause regular or severe distress should see a doctor or therapist. These professionals can help the person understand what is causing the thoughts and how to treat them.
https://positivepsychology.com/intrusive-thoughts/
The last link has a pdf download of 3 Positive CBT Exercises
As always these questions are optional, feel free to say hi or drop off a hug or 2.
Hang tough stay pawsome ur friend and forum supporter 🔥
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@Fireskye13
Thanks for sharing all this useful information! ❤️
Ice breaker answer: Probably Thanksgiving. Although I'm not from the USA, I find its meaning really special and believe it should become a worldwide-recognized Holiday!
Hope you are well! ❤️
@Ines1229
Hiya thx for checking in today its pawsome to see you.
I love Thanksgiving as well. Thanksgiving A world holiday that would be pawsome.
Ima glad u liked the information.
Hang tough stay pawsome ur friend and forum supporter 🔥
I used to think all my intrusive thoughts and nightmares meant something, and I would respond to them, and mull over them. I guess now I see how they're really just thoughts. Thoughts that come out of nowhere and don't have to affect me. This was helpful, thank you for sharing ❤️
@honestpanda81
I'm glad you could understand these thoughts aren't real or relevant. You are trully an inspiration, Pandita 💖💖💖
@honestpanda81
Hiya panda, thx for stopping by
Ima glad u can see them for what they are. I hope we can all get there.
Your so welcome ima happy that this had helped. We'll get through this together.
Hang tough stay pawsome ur friend and forum supporter 🔥
@Fireskye13
It is interesting to know where do intrusive thoughts come from, and it's useful to understand that these thoughts are not relevant to daily life.
However, it can be so hard to deal with it. I've had intrusive thoughts for months, and they're getting worse lately. I guess the most difficult part is to accept them instead of fighting them. In my head, this does not make sense. How can I accept something so horrible? They are so related to nightmares and flashbacks and everything is in chaos for now. But, as a dear friend told me, recovery is not linear and it takes time. I should not be hasty. Instead, I should try to practice the steps you gave in this post. I'm thankful for all the help you always provide. 💜💜💜
@Kimmkimm
Hiya kimm great to see u.
I understand what u mean, thoughts can be down right horrible. I think though that accepting is more like saying, yes I have horrible thoughts, but there jus that, thoughts ,words in our head, yes they are there but it doesn't have to control us, we have a choice to listen to the voices in our head, Well some of us do,my alters might think differently lol!🤣
I think as u an wise mentioned self care self love and self understanding is a great thing to help..
Ima so glad u find my tips helpful! My hope is provoke thought and discussion. The fact u find it helpful means alot.
Hang tough stay pawsome ur friend 🔥
@Fireskye13
💜💜💜
@Fireskye13 My recovery from trauma is going very slowly. I'm watching psychology videos on the internet, and they're very informative, but I don't know if they are producing any real change. 
I had a therapy appointment last Monday, and it went well, but I don't know if I'm changing because I'm in so much bondage because of my physical disability. I have a lot of talent that is being wasted. 
I hope society wants me to do more than just sit in front of a computer all day. I'm very creative. I had an appointment with my homeopath on Friday and they canceled it. They rescheduled for the end of the month, but considering how much treatment I need I'm not excited about it. 
My first acupuncture appointment is on January 15th, and I'm putting a lot of faith and hope into it. 
@Regmo
Hiya Regmo thx so much for checking in today.
It sounds like a really rough situation to be in.
Ima sure the videos are good, maybe u jus haven't found the right method or whatever adjective u care to use, that works for u. That's actually kinna my objective for my check ins is to provoke thought and discussion about various ways to deal with trauma.
It can be very disheartening to have appointments get canceled, but hang tough hopefully it'll be worth the wait. It sounds like you're trying different things and that's pawsome. Ima you'll find the right fit.
Creativity is pawsome, what do you like to create?
I believe there is more for you than sitting behind a screen all day, be creative do what you do!
Hang tough stay pawsome ur friend and forum supporter 🔥
@Fireskye13 Hello, this is a wonderful post. Intrusive thoughts are a big issue here. The images can be overwhelming and we often have to physically move somewhere else and give a mental shake to dislodge them. They always return though.
I'm not sure I have a favorite holiday. Halloween is usually pretty cool. This year there was a full moon during it that made it seem a little more cooler. The legends and myths behind it are pretty intriguing.
@mytwistedsoul
Hiya soul pawsome to see you!
Ima glad u liked this post that means alot!
Intrusive thoughts suck, they seem to happen out of nowhere and its tough to deal with but we have each other for support.
I love Halloween the costumes the customs its really a fanasating holiday
Hang tough stay pawsome ur friend and forum supporter 🔥
@Fireskye13
This is a really nice topic. Intrusive thoughts are very common for me too and upsetting because they don't stop. I'm trying to recognize where and how does it leads me to having intrusive thoughts. It feels scary at times because maybe I get too much "drifted away" by intrusive thoughts
@pencilmarks
Hiya pencil, pawsome to see you.
Ima sry to hear u have intrusive thoughts too.
Understanding where and how they come from is a great step forward in dealing with them. I hope it gets better soon.
Hang tough stay pawsome ur friend and forum supporter 🔥
@Fireskye13
Thank you <3
@pencilmarks
Ur welcome
